Stowaway
by SpyKid18
Summary: Buffy and Giles are aboard the Titanic for their voyage back to the States. Trouble brews long before that fated iceberg, though, when passengers begin disappearing. SPUFFY
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is just an insane idea I got for a Titanic story with vampires. In terms of historical fics, I think it actually makes some sense. Anyhoo, hope you enjoy!**

Chapter One

Elizabeth Anne Summers glanced up at the large ocean liner, shielding her eyes with one gloved hand as her escort took a hold of her elbow and said, "Buffy, tilt your head back any farther and you'll topple over."

Buffy pressed her lips into a small grin, turned her head toward the man beside her. "I've never seen such a grand boat, Giles. Do you really believe it's unsinkable?"

"Seems unfathomable," Giles remarked. "Although the mechanics of it do appear to be sound."

"It's all very exciting, isn't it?" Buffy said, walking with him toward the bridge leading up to the boat. "It's maiden voyage and we are to be counted among its passengers! We're making history!"

"By being on a ship's maiden voyage?" Giles returned with a smirk. "It's hardly something to mark in a history book."

"This isn't just any ship," she retorted. "It's an unsinkable ship. It's history in the making!"

"I suppose…" he said, trailing off as they stepped onto the ship. A uniformed man met them at the entryway and checked their tickets. The council had put them as father and daughter to avoid scandal with them traveling alone, and Buffy offered a casual grin as the man glanced up at them. Sure, her and Giles looked nothing alike, but he looked paternal and she looked of daughter age. Thankfully, the man didn't question them. He turned around to send another uniformed individual to direct them toward their first class lodging, finishing their transaction with a curt nod. Buffy hurried behind the man, anxious to explore the ship, and Giles followed a step behind.

"This is your room," the man said after opening the door, stepping to the side to allow Buffy and Giles to examine their room. It was one of the nicest rooms that Buffy had seen in her eighteen years of living and she silently congratulated herself on convincing the council that her and Giles should be given first class accommodations for their voyage back to the States.

"I hope the accommodations are satisfactory," the man said politely. Buffy spun toward him slowly, a wide grin on her face.

"Yes, they are absolutely divine."

"If you'd like I can show you to the dining room."

"Yes, please," Giles said. "Will they be serving lunch soon?"

"At half past the hour, sir," the man answered. "This way, please."

Giles fell into step beside Buffy and she grasped his arm excitedly. She had only spent a few minutes on the ship and she was already in love. Everything was just so grand and _new_. She adored every single bit of this ship – even the hallways! Giles glanced down at her and asked, "Am I going to have to suffer through an entire week of you gushing?"

"No," she answered lightly. "However, twenty four hours should be expected. I have now given you fair warning!"

They turned the corner and found themselves at the top of a large staircase, golden banisters twisting down to a grand dining hall. Buffy covered her mouth with her hand as her grin pulled even wider and Giles seemed similarly taken with the view as he murmured, "I believe the gushing would be appropriate at this moment, Buffy."

"I'm speechless," she replied. Their guide stepped past them and Buffy and Giles wordlessly followed him.

* * *

Dinner was served at seven and stretched far into the evening. The food was seemingly endless, and Buffy became so stuffed she wished that her corset was tied looser. Her and Giles made their way back to their living quarters, her hand resting on her torso.

"Remind me to either eat less or tie this thing looser," Buffy said, taking labored breaths.

"I would lean toward the eating less. Was it really necessary to have three desserts, Buffy?"

"They were so delicious!" Buffy enthused. "And that one with the Bavarian cream! Oh, I hope they serve that again."

"I'm surprised you didn't slip one in a napkin."

Buffy's eyes widened. "I hadn't even thought of that! Next time."

"Oh dear," Giles breathed out, shaking his head. He should have kept his mouth shut. They walked down the hallway and found themselves pushed to the side as a group of uniformed men rushed past them.

"So sorry," one of them mumbled, tipping his hat clumsily as he followed the other men.

"What in the world was that?" Buffy asked.

Giles was equally curious. "I'm not sure, but I have a feeling we're going to find out. Come on, let's follow."

"They'll surely notice us!"

"Not if we follow at a large distance," Giles said, glancing around to ensure that no one was paying them too much attention. "If we are found out we simply said we got lost. It's a large ship, after all."

"Alright, let's go," Buffy said, gesturing for Giles to lead the way. The man walked with the air of someone who knew exactly where they were going. Buffy followed suit, as to not draw attention. They grew stealthier, however, when they moved from the 1st class area to the lower areas. They took extra heed when they entered the steerage section.

"Be alert," he warned her in a low voice.

They followed the general direction that the uniformed men had gone. While they walked, Buffy couldn't help but notice the stark difference between their cabin area and steerage. It was like she had stepped on an entirely different boat. They went to round a corner when Giles stopped suddenly, gesturing for her to step back. She followed his direction and laid her hands on the wall, leaning forward a bit as both her and Giles listened to the loud conversation around the corner.

"What do you think it is?" someone asked. "You don't think…"

"It doesn't matter what it is," someone with clear authority said, his tone clipped. "This needs to stay between us. The guests cannot know."

"Of course, sir."

"We must maintain order," the man said. "That is the most important thing. There must be order. We'll dispose of the body."

Giles moved forward suddenly and the men stopped talking, the more assertive of the group immediately asking Giles what he was doing in steerage. She heard Giles say, "Oh, my goodness, I am turned around! My daughter and I were trying to make our way back to our room. I-what is that?"

"Some drunkard," the man answered smoothly. "Fell and hit his head. A terrible tragedy, but it happens."

"Yes," Giles said, trailing off for a moment. "Well, could one of you fine gentleman show us the way back to our room? We would be ever so grateful."

"Yes, of course. Jacob, show them to their room."

The youngest of the uniformed men stepped forward and led Giles and Buffy from the steerage area. The look that Giles passed her as they walked made her stomach coil. When they were in the safety of their room she asked him what he had seen.

"I'm afraid that was not the body of a drunkard," he began, taking off his glasses and wiping them with a handkerchief.

"Giles?"

"The body was drained."

"Drained? Giles, you don't mean-"

"No rest for the wicked, Buffy. I'm afraid that applies to the Slayer as well."

"This is completely unfair!" Buffy huffed, dropping heavily on her bed. "This is supposed to be a vacation of sorts! _No_ vampires!"

"Well, do you suggest we tell them that?" Giles retorted dryly.

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. "No. I just wish I could have one day without dealing with vampires. Is that too much to ask for?"

"You _are_ the Slayer."

"I'm no longer asking for your opinion," Buffy grumbled.

"We should patrol tonight," Giles said after a moment.

"Patrolling on a ship," Buffy retorted. "Something about that just seems wrong."

"I should have thought of this," Giles mused. "Vampire stowaways on ships are fairly common."

"We didn't encounter any on the way to England!" Buffy pointed out.

"Yes, it being common does not mean it would happen on every ship ride. Thank goodness for that."

"So, we patrol?" she asked morosely. "I hope we don't run into more of those uniformed men. The I-got-lost-thing will only work so many times."

* * *

They took different parts of the ship, moving carefully through the corridors to avoid any unintentional run-ins with guests or staff. Buffy made her way down into steerage, instinct telling her that this was where the vampires would lurk. It would be the easiest pickings as news of missing persons wouldn't leave the lower deck.

While she didn't immediately sense any of the undead, the littering of dead rats was a bit of a giveaway. She stepped over one and wrinkled her nose. She was glancing back at the scattered dead rodents when she rounded the corner, incidentally not noticing the person directly in front of her.

"Oi! Watch where you're going!"

"Oh my goodness," she breathed out, hand flying to her chest. "I'm so sorry."

"You always walk around like that?" the man asked. "It's a good way to get yourself hurt."

The back of her neck tingled.

"You're not from down here, are you?" he asked, eyes studying her fine dress.

"No, I-I got lost."

"Let me guess, sleep walker?"

"Precisely," she said, taking his excuse. Why not? It wasn't as if she would see the man again. Steerage hardly interacted with first class. "If you'll excuse me, I'll just-"

"Get lost again?" the man finished with a smirk. "Why don't you let me take you to the stairwell. That will lead you right back up to your corner of the world."

"I don't want to trouble you," she said, knowing that she should probably check out a bit more of the floor before she called it a night. "I can find it on my own."

"A lady like you should not be wandering through steerage," he said. "You're lucky you ran into me and not some other bloke."

Again she felt the back of her neck tingle. She couldn't tell if it was him or what he had suggested. If she were being honest, something about him made her mind muddled. She couldn't think clearly with his eyes boring into her own. She felt unsettled and just a bit woozy.

"You can show me the way to the stairwell now," she said, thinking she could lose him afterward and continue her patrol.

"It's not far," he told her, leading her around the corner and down the corridor. "So, do you have a name?"

"Elizabeth Summers," she said. "People call me Buffy, though."

"Buffy, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name's William." They stopped in front of a doorway and he said, "Here we are. I told you it was close."

"Thank you," she said.

"Now, you go straight back to your room."

"You're very bossy," she noted.

"Just looking out for a lady's safety."

She grinned a bit. "I'll go straight to my room. Good night now."

"Good night, Buffy."

She waited in the stairwell for a count of three minutes before sneaking out and heading back down the corridor. Her stomach squirmed uncomfortably and she fought off the feeling that she was being watched. Just in case, she pulled out her stake.

She couldn't wait to finish this patrol.

* * *

He had his suspicions when he first found her, and they were confirmed when she snuck out of the stairwell with her stake securely in her hand. He hadn't seen it before; it must have been concealed in the folds of her dress. He followed at a distance, noticing the times she seemed to sense his presence but then shooed it away.

"Not good, Slayer," he whispered, slipping into the shadows. "Not good, at all."

**A/N: Would you like to see this continued?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the feedback!**

Chapter Two

The Slayer complicated things. William "Spike" Pratt knew this was a fact just as true as his ten fingers and toes. It was a long voyage, and with three of them onboard (and counting, the dark-skinned Geoffrey professed a proclivity for siring) it was only a matter of time before the Slayer discovered them. If that one body didn't give them away, the littering of rat bodies certainly did. He would suggest they clean up after themselves. Spike almost laughed at the thought of vampires tidying up after a kill. He would have scoffed at the idea if it were presented to him before. He was a _vampire,_ after all. Evil creature. Soulless. The big bad.

But then Dru decided to run off to America and he was stuck on this blasted ship with vampires so below him that he had to fight off an urge to snap their necks every moment they were in the same room. They had information on her whereabouts, though, and since torturing them didn't work (he had tried that without much success on one of the others) he had to swallow his frustration and lead them to the States. That was the deal, after all. He gets them to the land of plenty and he gets his girl.

He just had to keep them alive long enough to find her.

The Slayer was very much on Spike's mind as he made his way back to where they had ensconced themselves in the deep recesses of the ship. The other two vampires were back from their hunting. Geoffrey, a large-boned vampire with the mental faculties of a pre-pubescent boy sat against the wall. His latest childe laid beside him, in the final stages of the turn. Penelope, a shrewd petite brunette with the irritation quirk of a running mouth, was sprawled on the other side of the room, and rose swiftly when Spike walked in, descending on him with questions like a hoard of flies on spoiled meat.

"Where have you been? We've been back for ages! Geoffrey has this little thing half turned already and you're just getting back-"

"Find some bells and put 'em around my ankle then," Spike answered irritably. "That way you can always know where I am. Suit you better, love?"

"We need to keep track of each other," Penelope said quickly, one word running into the next. "If one of us is compromised then the entire group is compromised."

"Maybe you should tell you mate over there to stop trying to turn the entire bloody boat, then. I mean, honestly Geoffrey, we're not even here 24 hours and you're turning someone?"

"I wanted a plaything," he answered unapologetically. "It's a long voyage."

Spike gaped at him. The bloke was as mad as Dru.

"It's not my going off on my own that we need to worry about," Spike said, shaking his head. "We have a larger situation at hand."

"What do you mean?" Penelope demanded. "What type of situation?"

"The Slayer is on the ship," Spike said in a low voice. He expected some sort of hushed silence from his shipmates. It was _the_ Slayer, after all. The killer of their kind. Instead, Penelope snorted while Geoffrey continued to poke and prod at his childe.

"The Slayer?" Penelope baited. "On this ship?"

"Yes, that is what I said, isn't it?" Spike answered testily.

"And you knew she was the Slayer how?"

"Oh, maybe the stake in her hand," Spike bit out. "She was down here by herself in all her crenolin and lace. She was patrolling, pet. Hunting for us. Someone left a body out. I reckon she found it."

"It's steerage," Penelope jeered. "No one misses them."

"Yeah, well, dead bodies tend to jar people, regardless of their class," Spike said. "We need to be more careful from now on. Otherwise, we'll lead the Slayer straight to us."

"You hear that Geoffrey?" Penelope called out lightly. "Clean up after yourself, yeah?"

Spike stared at the two of them, unable to understand how they were taking this so lightly. Did they not know what the Slayer was capable of? He had taken on one himself during the Boxer Rebellion. The lady was a hell of a fighter, matching him in strength and agility. He had only won due to an opportune explosion outside. After spending half a day with these two vampires, he was fairly certain that all the explosions in the world couldn't help them if they ever faced the Slayer.

"Are you all very high, or did you not hear me properly?" Spike said. "The mighty killer of our kind is on this ship, and you all are making jokes?"

"It's not the Slayer," Penelope said with an exaggerated eye roll. He fought the urge to gouge both of them clear out. "Might I remind you that this ship departed London. The Slayer is in New York. Everyone knows that."

"Yes, well, she must have had some business abroad because the woman that I just ran into over in steerage was most definitely the Slayer."

Penelope's eyes widened. "You actually interacted with her?"

"Yes."

"And she didn't kill you."

"Yes."

"And you really expect us to believe this is the Slayer?"

Spike had to admit that he found it a bit odd that she hadn't sensed his true nature. It seemed like something that a Slayer would immediately pick up on, yet he had been in her presence for two or three minutes and his demon went undetected.

"Maybe she's new," Spike suggested irritably. "She may have just been called. Regardless, the Slayer is on this boat, and since you are my ticket to Drusilla, I would rather you not get killed. So, clean up after meals. End of story."

Penelope looked displeased, but she didn't press the issue any further. Geoffrey continued to fuss with his childe, paying little attention to the other two vampires. Spike looked from the stewing vampire to the delusional one, and thought to himself that this voyage could not end soon enough.

BBBBB

Buffy went straight to bed when she returned from patrol, but she found herself having difficulty falling asleep. The patrol had been relatively uneventful. She didn't find any other bodies – only a few additional rat carcasses along the way. Her mind kept wandering back to William, though. Just the thought of him brought that tingle to the back of her neck again, and she struggled to identify exactly what was causing it.

Her first thought was that he was a vampire, but usually it was like they were wearing huge blinking lights to her they were so obvious, and he hadn't tried to attack her. In her two years of being the Slayer, she had never met a vampire who didn't eventually show his cards. Sure, sometimes they would tease and lure, but they always showed their true face. They always went in for the bite. The kill. Her and William were alone in the sprawling corridors of the ship, and all he had done was show her the way back to her room.

But then there was that tingle again.

She turned on her side and pressed her cheek against the pillow, closing her eyes. It wouldn't do her any good to dwell about it now. Now, she needed her rest. She would dwell on it tomorrow.

BBBBB

"How was your patrol?" Giles asked, as the two of them prepared for breakfast. Buffy's thoughts went back to the William issue, but she chose to keep that to herself. She had developed her own way to suss out that issue.

"Uneventful," Buffy answered. "I did find myself stepping over a whole bunch of dead rats, though. How about you? Any more dead bodies?"

Giles frowned. "No, although I suppose that's a good thing."

"Yes, one dead body per night is enough for me."

"Factoring in the rats, though, I think it is safe to presume that we are dealing with more than one vampire."

Buffy's grin was saccharine as she chirped, "Isn't that fantastic?"

"Watch your sarcasm, Buffy," Giles said with a slight grin. "You'll land us on another ship to England. As much as I enjoy my home country, I'd like to at least wait a month or so before returning."

"You know, I didn't choose to be the Slayer. I don't see why I have to ascribe to their ridiculous rules. And having someone secretly monitoring my progress? I find that unacceptable."

"Yes, I agree, but the Council has their own way of operating."

"I can't believe they told me that I wasn't developing properly as the Slayer," she huffed. "I dust 5-6 vampires every night back in New York! Try doing that underdeveloped!"

"I told them that I thought you were progressing just fine, Buffy," Giles said in a placating tone. "It's the Council, though. They don't listen to anyone besides themselves."

"I suppose."

"Why don't we have some breakfast," Giles said, putting a consoling arm around her shoulder. "Everything seems better with some coffee and toast."

BBBBB

That night Buffy was back in steerage on patrol. She found a few rat carcasses, but there were no human bodies to be found. As she was wrapping up her patrol she turned the corner and saw a familiar person standing over by the stairway. He hadn't seen her yet, although she noticed that his back stiffened. That was added to the running tally she had amassed in her mind. He clearly sensed her. He was out gallivanting in the corridors deep into the night. Just one last test.

"William?"

He turned at the sound of his name and backed up quickly, hissing at the cross that she held in her hand. He didn't change into gameface, but it was enough for her. She lunged forward, having switched the cross in her hand for a stake. He was faster than she expected, however, and easily darted away from her.

"That's no fair," Spike said, easily dodging a punch. "Jumping on a man like that without warning."

"I can't believe I didn't know what you are," Buffy shot back, all skirts as she spun and unfurled a remarkably effective kick to his midsection.

He stumbled backwards and baited her with, "You're the Slayer and you can't even sense a vampire?"

She answered with a direct punch to his nose.

He wiped the blood dripping onto his upper lip with his sleeve and laughed. "I think I made you mad."

"I'm a damn good Slayer," she shot back, blocking a hit. "You're about to see just how good."

He fielded a few more of her hits and lightly remarked, "Still waiting to see your good moves, love."

They sparred for a few moments until she landed a kick directly between his legs. She watched with satisfaction as his eyes grew wide.

"That, William, is one of my signatures."

She brandished her stake with relish and was about to drive it home when she heard something behind her. The momentary distraction was enough for Spike to shove her away and take off in the opposite direction. Before Buffy could follow him a hand was closing on her shoulder. She turned around to find a uniformed man gazing down at her with a mixture of alarm and worry.

"Miss, is everything alright? Did that man hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Buffy said distractedly, glancing back in the direction that he had run. She wanted to pursue him, but knew that there was no way since she was found. It would have to wait for another night.

**A/N: Feedback! Go!**


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